DMV celebrates 10 years of more knowledgable teen drivers

DMV celebrates 10 years of more knowledgable teen drivers

MIDDLETOWN — The Connecticut DMV celebrated the 10th anniversary of Graduated Drivers’ License Laws (GDL) and the impact it’s made across the state.

Wednesday DMV Commissioner Michael Bzdyra was joined by safety advocates and medical professionals at a press conference to mark the milestone. The event served as a reminder for minors and parents on how important these laws have decreased fatal crashes among young drivers.

The GDL include: a required two-hour safety information class for both parents and teens, improved training requirements, extended curfew and passenger restrictions, increased penalties for violations and other requirements aimed to increase safety among teen drivers.

According to the DMV release on the State Police Facebook page, car crashes are still the leading cause of teen deaths, fatal crashes involving teens were over 150 percent higher when the state had lenient teen driver laws.